The biography „of school’s parent”
Ede Porges
was born (on) 14th may 1819, in Prague. His parents
passed away when he was still a
young child. His first form of subsistence was covered
by teaching. He obtained his technical thesis
at the University of Technology in Prague .
He wanted to be a teacher. He moved to Hohenems,
and became instructor at
the public school of the city.
After the Hungarian war
of independence (1849), the Austrian government made
a resolution that german should become the national
language of Hungary. This decision caused
the Austrian government to look
for suitable instructors.
On the evidence of his
pedagogical achievements, Ede Porges was found appropriate
for changing the educational politics of the government in
Vienna.
In 1859, he was in charge of leading the German
lingual primary
school at Pécs.
The ”german politics” of the Austrian
government had failed also in the education,
so they closed
the pattern-school at Pécs. At this time
Ede Porges was working as a bookkeeper and during
this year he had the idea to open a
commercial school at Pécs. On June 26,1875
he asked for permission to
establish a three class, public commercial school.
On October 20,1875 he opened
the Commercial Secondary School at Szechenyi
sqr. 6.
But his
personal will was not enough (financial problems)
to maintain the public school.
He had only a few students. He thought, that
is because, his qualificated
students didn’t get a voluntary right (they
only have to join the army
for one year). He reached his goal : his students
got this right in 1887. Then he had 30 students
and in the next term he had 92.
In 1895, after 20 years
of successful work Ede Porges –with the
support of the Ministry of Religion and
Public Education-handed the direction to Béla
Kondor, who was a qualified teacher
of commercial schools.
Ede Porges died on October,1
1904, in Pécs.
He was a democratic and
developing establisher, woodwork competently and
wood make great sacrifices for his school. He wrought
his name unforgettable into
the cultural history of the city. After his death,
the school was
in the hand of the town until 1948. The religious
schools war peculiar, however Ede Porges’s school
has appeared from with its democratic spirit.
The students war prepared to attend in the commercion,
the payment trade
or in the administration in this democratic spirit.
The school produced well-trained, directing professionals
for important positions to Pécs, and almost
to Hungary.
Translated from Hungarian by Mariann
Gráner
(2007)
